Cambridge Scientific Club.
Records of the Cambridge Scientific Club : an inventory

Repository: Harvard University ArchivesCall No.: HUD 3257Creator: Cambridge Scientific Club.Title: Records of the Cambridge Scientific Club, 1842-1985, bulk dates 1846-1945.Quantity: 1.2 cubic feet (2 document boxes, 43 photographs, 2 photograph albums)Abstract: The Cambridge Scientific Club was founded on November 14, 1842 as a small informal
dining club consisting chiefly of members of the Harvard University faculty who met
to exchange ideas on a wide variety of topics including religion, music, the natural
sciences, political economy, the law, ancient history, and the fine arts. The records
are organized in four series: General information about the Cambridge Scientific Club,
Records of meetings, Lecture given by Cornelius C. Felton to members of the Cambridge
Scientific Club, and Photographs of Cambridge Scientific Club members.Note: This document last updated 2008 October 6.

The Cambridge Scientific Club was founded on November 14, 1842 as a small informal dining club where members exchanged
ideas on a wide variety of topics including, but not limited to, religion,music, the natural sciences,political economy, the law, ancient history, and the fine arts. Although not restricted to members of the Harvard community, the Club consisted
chiefly of members of the Harvard faculty who despite having different fields of interest
shared, according to President Charles W. Eliot, "a common object, namely service, a common love of research, and a common habit of
thought."

The initial founders of the Club were Asa Gray,Joseph Lovering,Benjamin Peirce,Daniel Treadwell,James Walker, and Morrill Wyman. With the exception of Walker, all the founders of the Club were scientists and mathematicians,
but many other professionals were also welcomed as members. Harvard Presidents Josiah Quincy and Edward Everett, historian Jared Sparks, lawyer Simon Greenleaf, philosopher Francis Bowen, and classicists Charles Beck and C.C. Felton all were early members of the Club. Members who were not Harvard faculty were school
master Epes S. Dixwell, Rear Admiral Charles H. Davis, and lexicographer Joseph E. Worcester.

The first talk given at the Club was by inventor Daniel Treadwell on the Construction of cannon of large caliber in 1842. In 1846, presentations were given by Asa Gray on the expeditions of Captain John C. Freemont in the Oregon Territory, Joseph Lovering on electrical fishes,Benjamin Peirce on the discovery of Neptune, and Charles Beck on Roman slavery. On some occasions, the Club provided a forum for members to make initial presentations
of new ideas that they would later develop professionally. In 1863, for instance,
Louis Agassiz criticized Charles Darwin'stheory of evolution in Remarks in opposition to the transmutation of Species, a talk given to the Club. President Eliot regularly presented new ideas pertaining
to Harvard University, such as the establishment of a pension system (1879), an elective studies program (1880), and a new curriculum for the Medical School (1886).

Lectures were usually followed by an elaborate dinner. Edward Everett in his diary (September 24, 1846) describes one of the early meals as "a supper at
which men, not accustomed, probably, to take anything in the evening, sit down to
a hearty meal of chicken, tongue, ham, pastry, Scotch Ale, and two or three kinds
of wine." Shortly after, in March 1847, Everett resigned from the Club fearing that
his partaking of such extravagant meals would not set a positive model for students
and explained in his diary that "this is something of a cross, not very heavy, but
this is the only relaxation I have in Cambridge from the monotony of my duties."
Club members continued to enjoy hearty meals during the following years. On February
4, 1937, Samuel Eliot Morisonpresented the Club with boiled leg of mutton, white turnips, potato balls, lettuce
salad, fruit, coffee, and a bottle of Burgundy, Musigny 1930. Not to be outdone,
on December 8, 1938, Arthur Darby Nock offered the Club turtle soup, lobster newburg, fillets of venison, salad, pears in
milk syrup, and his own selection of a premier wine, Chateau d'Yquem 1929.

The Club met seven or eight times during an academic year at the homes of the various
members and always on the first and third Thursdays of the month, avoiding conflicts
with the Cambridge Symphony concerts and the meetings of the Boston Thursday Evening Club. Business dress was required. According to William Lawrence,Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, in a letter to Edward K. Rand (March 19, 1924), Joseph Lovering was a driving factor in making sure the Club's dinners were held on the nights that
did not conflict with the Symphony or the Evening Club because Lovering, who "enjoyed
his food," wanted to share in all the events. Beginning in the early evening, the
host entertained his guests or gave a presentation from his field of study for approximately
an hour, following which, members dined. Afterward the topic of the presentation was
discussed. Members often entertained at clubs rather than in their homes and since
the membership was large enough, each member entertained only once every two years.

Joseph Lovering seems to have provided the Club with a nickname and song. He began
the first entry of his meeting notes on September 25, 1856, with "The Scientific Club,
alias mud fog." Although it is not clear if "mud fog" was commonly used as a nickname
by Club members, William Lawrence, in his March 1924 letter to Edward K. Rand, William
Lawrence explained that the title was "supposedly characteristic of the temper and
the quality of the discussions." In the same letter, Lawrence also asserted that Lovering
had an influence in associating the Club with a popular traditional folk song, One Fish Ball [sic The Lone Fish Ball]. According to Lawrence, the association began when the Parker Hotel, hosting a
Club dinner, offered two fish balls and bread and butter for dinner. Lovering, noted
for his frugality, ordered only one fish ball and received no bread. As in the song
One Fish Ball, " The waiter roared it through the hall, we don't serve bread with one fish ball."

Record-keeping practices of the Cambridge Scientific Club

The meeting minutes of the Cambridge Scientific Club begin on November 14, 1842 with
the entry "With Treadwell. Construction of cannon of large caliber. Present: Treadwell, Wyman, etc.," on a loose sheet of paper. There are no further
meeting minutes of the Club until September 10, 1846. From then until December 10,
1891, Club minutes were taken informally by Joseph Lovering and Epse S. Dixwell. In 1892, Justin Winsor was appointed the first secretary of the Club and took regular minutes during his
tenure. After Winsor's death in 1897, no minutes were taken until November 1903
when William W. Goodwin was elected secretary. Goodwin took the minutes of the Club until March 25, 1909.
Record-keeping lapsed during John Trowbridge's and Edward C. Pickering's tenures as secretaries.

In response to a letter from President Charles W. Eliot, dated April 27, 1923, newly elected Club secretary, Edward K. Rand, attempted to reconstruct the Club's meeting minutes from 1909 to 1923, working from
notes kept by Theodore W. Richard in his diary on most of the meetings of the Club from 1910 onward. Using the original
draft of Richard's notes and various additions and corrections from other members,
Rand was able to restore the Club's meeting minutes from March 25, 1909 to May 17,
1923. Edward K. Rand served as secretary until 1928, followed by Harlow Shapley (1928-1940) and Arthur Darby Nock (1940-1945).

The Records of the Cambridge Scientific Club document its founding, organization,
and administrative activities. The records contain lists, notes, outlines, correspondence,
postcards, invitations, schedules, news clippings, a single lecture, and photographs
of Club members. The bulk of the records consist of meeting minutes that provide
brief and summary descriptions of the talks and discussions that occurred at the Club's
gatherings by leading and prominent members of the Harvard University faculty. Among
the subjects discussed at the Club's meetings were topics related to religion, music,
the natural sciences, political economy, the law, ancient history, and the fine arts.
Although the records cover the years 1842 to 1985, the collection contains a limited
quantity of records created after 1945, consisting of membership lists and a single
election membership ballot. Researchers should note that there is only a single record
for the Club from November 14, 1842 in this collection.

Processing Information: This series was arranged alphabetically by the archivist from materials with no discernible
order.

[Membership lists, 1842-1985] Box 1

Scope and Content: Membership lists record the date each member was elected to the Club, each member's
occupation, the date each member terminated their membership, the reason for leaving,
and the date each member died. Membership lists are compiled lists and not original
lists.

[Membership list, 1842-1904] Box 3

Membership list compiled by Epes S. Dixwell with later revisions made by other Club
members.

Acquisition Information: Gift of John Trowbridge, 1920.

[Notes on the history of the Club compiled by Nathan Pusey, 1969] Box 1

These notes were compiled by Nathan Pusey, president of Harvard University, for a
talk he gave to the Cambridge Scientific Club on April 3, 1969 on the Club's history.

Scope and Content: Pusey's notes include extracts from the diary of Edward Everett documenting the Club's
early meetings, copies and extracts of letters from various Club members recalling
their experiences at meetings, and Pusey's general outline tracing the Club's history.

Processing Information: Documents found in folders labeled as "miscellaneous" were integrated into the appropriate
folders by the archivist.

Scope and Content: This series consists mostly of meeting minutes and letters that document the dinners
and discussions that the Cambridge Scientific Club held on a regular basis and which
illustrate the wide variety of interests held by the Club's membership. The minutes
note the date, location, lecture topic, and members present at each meeting. Some
of the minutes include descriptions and comments regarding the topics presented for
discussion.

The records in this series also document the record-keeping practices of the Club
during its history and illustrate the attempts by Club members to acquire and reconstitute
the Club's meeting minutes from time to time.

Subjects of papers read at meetings, 1842-1886 (1 folder) Box 2

Acquisition Information: Gift of John Trowbridge, 1920.

Scope and Content: This subseries contains listings of the papers read at the meetings of the Cambridge
Scientific Club by the following members:

Daniel Treadwell, inventor

James Walker, president of Harvard University

Emory Washburn, jurist

Joseph Winlock, astronomer

Cornelius C. Felton, president of Harvard University

Epes S. Dixwell, schoolmaster

George M. Lane, classicist

Thomas Hill, president of Harvard University

Henry W. Paine, Harvard Overseer

Benjamin Peirce, mathematician

Joel Parker, jurist

Joseph Lovering, mathematician

Jared Sparks, historian

Asa Gray, botanist

Joseph E. Worcester, Harvard Overseer

Louis Agassiz, zoologist

Charles H. Davis, Rear Admiral, United States Navy

Francis Bowen, philosopher

Charles Beck, classicist

The listings include the title of each paper, the date it was read,
and the date the member died.

Scope and Content: This typescript appears to have been completed in 1942. It does not provide a complete
run of meeting minutes from 1846 to 1909 and the majority of the entries are in summary
form. Some of the entries include editorial comments pertaining to the subjects presented
at Club meetings, presumably written by the person who created this document.

Appendix D: correspondence between Edward K. Rand and Club members with reference
to the election of members, corrections to Richard's diary entries, talks given, and
dates and locations of dinners.

Meeting minutes, 1924 May 5 - 1940 May 6 Box 2

Scope and Content: This folder contains correspondence between Harlow Shapley, secretary of the Club,
and other Club members. The correspondence refers to scheduled meetings, elections
to the Club, member resignations, and requests for photographs from members.

Meeting minutes, 1923 October 25 - 1936 April 30 ( 1 volume) Box 2

Compiled by Edward K. Rand and Harlow Shapley.

Scope and Content: Minutes from October 25, 1923 to May 8, 1945 include extended descriptions of the
subjects discussed at the Club's meetings.

Series: Lecture given by Cornelius C. Felton to members of the Cambridge Scientific Club,
1859 (1 folder) Box 1

Acquisition Information: From the Estate of Christine Farley, 1950.

Scope and Content: This series contains a handwritten manuscript of a lecture entitled Homer-The Trojan War and the Plain of Troy given on April 27, 1859 by Cornelius C. Felton, president of Harvard University (1860-1862),
to the Cambridge Scientific Club.

Processing Information: Loose photographs were arranged alphabetically by the archivist.

Scope and Content: This series contains photographs of members of the Cambridge Scientific Club. Included
among the photographs are cartes-de-visite, cabinet cards, crystalotypes, and a caricature.

[Unidentified member, 1926] Photo number: 1

Alexander Agassiz,1879 Photo number: 2

Walter B. Cannon, 1922 Photo number: 3

Charles F. Choate,[1877] Photo number: 4

James Bryant Conant,[1934] Photo number: 5

Josiah Parsons Cooke, [1875] Photo number: 6

Josiah Parsons Cooke, [ca. 1882] Photo number: 7

Archibald Cary Coolidge,1914 Photo number: 8

Julian Lowell Coolidge,[ca. 1920s] Photo number: 9

Charles Franklin Dunbar,[1887] Photo number: 10

George H. Edgell, [ca. 1920s] Photo number: 11

Charles W. Eliot, ca. 1870 Photo number: 12

Charles W. Eliot, 1892 Photo number: 13

Charles W. Eliot, ca. 1920s Photo number: 14

[Alfred] Elwyn, [ca. 1870s] Photo number: 15

Wolcott Gibbs, [ca. 1880s] Photo number: 16

Wolcott Gibbs,1880 Photo number: 17

William W. Goodwin, [ca. 1880s] Photo number: 18

Asa Gray,[1867] Photo number: 19

John C. Gray,[ca. 1890s] Photo number: 20

Charles H. Haskins, [ca. 1920s] Photo number: 21

Lawrence J. Henderson, [ca. 1920s] Photo number: 22

Thomas Hill, [ca. 1880s] Photo number: 23

Edward W. Hooper,1893 Photo number: 24

George M. Lane,1893 Photo number: 25

John Livingston Lowes,[ca. 1930s] Photo number: 26

Theodore Lyman,[ca. 1920s] Photo number: 27

Samuel Eliot Morison, 1933 Photo number: 28

Arthur Darby Nock,1923 Photo number: 29

Charles Eliot Norton,1893 Photo number: 30

Edward C. Pickering, 1876 Photo number: 31

Roscoe Pound, [ca. 1920s] Photo number: 32

Edward K. Rand,[ca. 1911] Photo number: 33

Edward K. Rand, [ca. 1940s] (caricature) Photo number: 34

Theodore W. Richards, [ca. 1910] Photo number: 35

Samuel Hubbard Scudder, [ca. 1880s] Photo number: 36

William Roscoe Thayer,1905 Photo number: 37

John Trowbridge,[ca. 1880s] Photo number: 38

Henry Pickering Walcott, [ca. 1920s] Photo number: 39

Emory Washburn, [ca. 1870s] Photo number: 40

Emory Washburn,[ca. 1860s] Photo number: 41

Joseph Winlock,1875 Photo number: 42

Justin Winsor,1893 Photo number: 43

Wyman Album, ca. 1894 Album 1 Box 4

Acquisition Information: Gift of John Trowbridge, 1920.

ccustodhist: This photograph album was given to Morrill Wyman by his wife, Elizabeth. It was presented
to the Cambridge Scientific Club on January 30, 1904 by Morrill Wyman, Jr.

Scope and Content: This album includes photographs of members who joined the Club between 1842 and 1894.
Recorded with some of the photographs are the member's election date and the date
the photograph was presumably taken. Some of the pages in this album record the member's
name, but lack a photograph. Some of the pages in this album are blank. Missing
photographs and membership election dates are noted in the list below.

Louis Agassiz, 1848

Charles Beck, 1847

Francis Bowen, 1847

Includes an extract from Francis Bacon's Of Youth and Age.

Charles F. Choate, 1877

[no photograph]

Josiah P. Cooke, 1875

[no photograph]

Charles H. Davis, 1847

Epes S. Dixwell, 1847

Charles F. Dunbar, 1887

[no photograph]

Edward Everett, 1846

William G. Farlow, 1894

[Photograph taken from article]

Cornelius G. Felton, 1847

Wolcott Gibbs, 1864

Asa Gray, 1842

Simon Greenleaf, [ca. 1842-1846]

[drawing]

Thaddeus [William] Harris, [ca. 1842-1846]

The Harris photograph is described as Thaddeus Mason Harris, Harvard College librarian
from 1791 to 1793, but T.M. Harris died in 1842, just as the Club was beginning. Most
likely the photograph is of his son, Thaddeus William Harris, Harvard College librarian
from 1831 to 1856. Morrill Wyman in his article, Memoir of Daniel Treadwell, mentions that Thaddeus William Harris and Simon Greenleaf were members of the Club
in the period from 1842 to 1846, for which there are few Club records.

Thomas Hill, 1863

Edward Wiliam Hooper, 1887

[no photograph]

Wiliam Kent, 1847

George M. Lane, 1870

[no photograph]

Joseph Lovering, 1842

[two photographs]

Charles Eliot Norton, 1875

[no photograph]

Joel Parker, 1850

Benjamin Peirce, 1842

Josiah Quincy, 1845

Jared Sparks, 1848

Daniel Treadwell, 1842

James Walker, 1842

Emory Washburn, 1864

[no photograph]

Joseph Winlock, 1868

Justin Winsor, 1884

No photograph found here. Instead there is a letter from Justin Winsor to Morrill
Wyman (March 10, 1895) pertaining to an autograph that Wyman requested from Winsor.

Joseph E. Worcester, 1846

Morrill Wyman, 1842

Dixwell Album, 1862 Album 2 Box 5

This photograph album is labeled "Dixwell 1862" and although its history is unclear,
it is highly likely that Epes S. Dixwell helped in gathering the photographs for it.

Acquisition Information: Gift of John Trowbridge, 1920.

Scope and Content: The photographs in this album include the date the Club member died. The list below
is in the order in which the member appears in the album.

The Records were first classified and described in the Harvard University Archives
shelflist prior to 1990. In July 2008, Dominic P. Grandinetti re-processed the collection. Re-processing included integrating and reorganizing
the collection, re-housing materials in the appropriate containers, placing documents
into acid-free folders, establishing series arrangement, and preparing this inventory.

Call numbers were simplified and reassigned. A list of obsolete call numbers is included
in this finding aid.

The following list provides a map to call numbers that were made obsolete by the archivist
during the 2008 re-processing. All the materials for the Records of the Cambridge
Scientific Club now fall under the single call number HUD 3257.

HUD 3257: General Folder: moved to General information about the Cambridge Scientific Club,
Membership Lists.

HUD 3257.2: Notes on the history of the Club: moved to General information about the Cambridge
Scientific Club, Notes on the history of the Club compiled by Nathan Pusey.

HUD 3257.159: Felton, C.C. Home-The Trojan War and the Plain of Troy. Ms. of lecture given to the
Club April 27, 1859 : moved to Lecture given by Cornelius C. Felton to members of
the Cambridge Scientific Club.

HUD 3257.510: Minutes, correspondence and other records. 1842-1909. Including members and founders:
moved to General information about the Cambridge Scientific Club, Membership Lists.

HUD 3257.510: Minutes, correspondence and other records. 1842-1909. Including members and founders
lists: moved to Records of meetings.

HUD 3257.520: Minutes, correspondence and other records. 1909-1940: moved to General information
about the Cambridge Scientific Club, Membership Lists.

HUD 3257.520 : Minutes, correspondence and other records. 1909-1940: moved to Records of meetings.

HUD 3257.520p: Photographs of members removed from HUD 3257.520 and HUD 3257.510: moved to Photographs
of Cambridge Scientific Club members, Loose photographs.

HUD 3257.520.1: Small photo album of members, many famous professors included: moved to Photographs
of Cambridge Scientific Club members, Dixwell Album.

HUD 3257.525 : Minutes of meetings, 1936-1945: moved to Records of meetings.

HUD 3257.770: Photographs of members who joined 1842-1887, taken in 1852: moved to Photographs
of Cambridge Scientific Club members, Wyman Album.